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Spending Review
To secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, based on the Good Friday Agreement, in which the rights and identities of all traditions in Northern Ireland are fully respected and safeguarded and in which a safe, stable, just, open and tolerant society can thrive and prosper.
Objective I: to sustain the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and be ready to respond imaginatively to any difficulties that arise; maintain positive and constructive relations with the devolved Assembly and Executive and the Irish Government; and to contribute effectively to the work of the British Irish Council and the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
Objective II: to build and sustain confidence in the police service and police oversight and accountability arrangements in Northern Ireland, taking account of the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland established under the Good Friday Agreement.
1. A progressive narrowing of the gap in confidence in policing and policing arrangements between the two main communities in Northern Ireland, measured annually, while maintaining the high overall level of public service.
2. A progressive increase in the Catholic representation in the police service towards a target of 30% Catholic representation by 2011 as proposed by Patten, with an interim target of 13.5% by March 2004.
Objective III: taking account of the review of the criminal justice system established under the Good Friday Agreement, to promote and build confidence in and to foster the continued development of a criminal justice system in Northern Ireland which is efficient, effective and responsive.
3. Increase overall confidence in the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland throughout all parts of the community, to be measured annually and separately for both main parts of the community by public survey.
Objective IV: to uphold and maintain the rule of law by developing and adjusting policing, security and public order policies in light of the changing circumstances in Northern Ireland, supported by sufficient counter-terrorist capability and an appropriate legislative framework which takes account both of the need to secure justice and the rights of individuals.
4. Progress towards a normal peaceful society, increased respect for law and order and an improvement in public order with significant reductions between 2001 and 2004 in the number of major security incidents, breaches of public order, occasions of serious violence against the person and instances of major criminal damage, to be measured over three year rolling periods.
Objective V: to lessen the impact of crime by working in partnership with other criminal justice agencies to maintain and develop policies aimed at preventing or reducing the threat of crime, the fear of crime and the incidence of crime and to provide support for the victims of crime.
5. Reductions in the rates of particular types of crime, and in the rate of increase of overall crime. Relevant areas of crime and quantified targets covering them will be set out in a strategy for tackling crime to be published by March 2001.
Objective VI: to execute the supervisory and custodial sentences of the courts so as to punish offenders appropriately, protect the people of Northern Ireland and help reduce the risk of re-offending.
6. Continued protection for the community by ensuring that no high risk prisoner escapes and that the number of prison escapes does not exceed 3 per 1,000 prisoners.
7. Reductions in the rate of re-offending in the longer term to be achieved through a strategy, based on a robust measurement system and quantified targets, to be developed by March 2002.
8. Secure ongoing efficiency savings of 3% in core departmental administration costs for each year of the planning period whilst maintaining levels and quality of service.
9. Reduce the difference in cost per prisoner place between Northern Ireland and England and Wales by 17% by March 2004.
The achievement of the Department's aim and objectives is also dependent on the prevailing political environment in Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for the delivery of the targets set out in this PSA. They will be realised through the work of the Northern Ireland Office and the various statutory and non-statutory bodies funded by the Department.
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